


A Second Chance

by lsabeIleLim



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged Up, Brief Lukanette, F/M, even briefer adrigami, i pulled this plot out of my ass, i’m a slut for lukanette but marichat is king
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 16:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30058290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lsabeIleLim/pseuds/lsabeIleLim
Summary: Luka left for college, and a distraught Marinette seeks comfort in a certain alley cat who just happened to drop by. In her senior year, she takes up an internship at Agreste Industries for her portfolio, despite the unprofessionalism of her being friends with Adrien.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

Adrien hated his life. There, he said it. He knew he should be grateful — he was rich, smart, and good-looking. Born into privilege, he had almost everything at his disposal. He could own any material item he wished for. He could purchase anything he desired. 

The setting sun glared at Adrien through the bars of his window. It illuminated the streets of Paris, where citizens bustling on the streets got ready to go home to their families. A bird soared through the sky, casting a shadow into his room for a brief second.

Freedom wasn’t a material object he could buy. Neither was love, for that matter. His father had his reasons to be so distant. Ever since his mother had passed away, he dived into his work for some kind of distraction. He made up for it by buying Adrien whatever he wanted. Adrien always felt a little guilty about wanting more from his father, especially after everything he’s been through. But he couldn’t help yearning for the affection his mother used to provide. A single sentence of praise and approval would be more than enough. 

He had three photoshoots today. His father insisted on being present for two, to see how his son was faring. Of course, the additional pressure prevented Adrien from doing his best. The pictures turned out forced, unemotional — an instinctive response to his father’s presence. The look of disappointment in his father’s face was something Adrien was used to seeing. 

He wondered what it would be like to have been born to a normal family. To go to a normal school his whole life, to not have to ask for permission every time he wants to hang out with his friends. To hug his father and kiss his mother and have dinner together as a family. 

Plagg disliked seeing Adrien so mopey. As much as he pretends not to care, Plagg can’t help but feel sorry for Chat Noir. His life was far from normal, even without the additional stress of being a superhero. A normal life, Plagg feels, is something a lot of people take for granted. 

“Come on, kid.” Grabbing Adrien by his finger, he dragged the boy off his bed and towards the window. “Let’s go for a run. To train, or something.”

“There was an akuma attack just yesterday, Plagg,” Adrien protested. “Hawkmoth wouldn’t strike so soon.”

“Better safe than sorry. Besides, a little extra training never hurt anyone.” Plagg knew it would take little convincing for his human to give in. He smiled to himself when Adrien got ready for the transformation. 

Chat Noir was everything Adrien aspired to be. Free. Dearly loved by all of Paris. And best of all, by Ladybug. As he jumped from roof to roof, hidden in the night, the wind blowing his hair, he thought about what he wouldn’t give to be able to do this forever. To be free of all his responsibilities as Adrien. To kick ass and flirt with his lady full time. 

His lady. He wondered what Ladybug was up to. What she did in her civilian life. Chat realised he didn’t know much about her when she mentioned her sketchbook offhandedly a couple of weeks ago. He now knows Ladybug draws in her free time. He doesn’t know what she draws — it would’ve been too forward of him to ask. That got him thinking of what other things she does in her free time. 

They couldn't know too much about each other’s civilian lives, lest they guess each other’s identity. It’s been two years now, and Chat’s love for her has not diminished in the slightest. In fact, he thinks, it’s only grown stronger. 

His lady, on the other hand, has grown too. He sees it in the way she fights. It’s like second nature to her now. They fight seamlessly. In battle, they share the same mind. They’ve only gotten stronger since. 

He can tell she’s tired too. She stopped saying goodbye to the butterflies after deevilising them. She doesn’t comment on her lucky charms like she used to. It was all business now, where there used to be some banter and fun. Chat wonders if something has affected her civilian life, causing her to be like this, but he knows better than to ask. 

The only thing that remained constant throughout time was their unbreakable bond. They’ve been together for so long, and despite not knowing each other’s identity, they knew a more intimate side of each other. People tend to be more brave behind a disguise, Chat realised. 

As he continued leaping from rooftop to rooftop, a certain balcony caught his eye. 

A string of lights illuminated the dimly lit figure leaning against the railing. Chat didn’t think twice before heading towards Marinette’s home, thoughts of his lady placed aside for now. 

He had gotten closer to Marinette as Adrien. She stopped stuttering around him, which was good. He never figured out why she did in the first place, though. They still weren’t as close as he wished they would be. Marinette seemed like a nice person. She had always been infinitely kind. He’d wanted a friend like her since forever. 

“Paw-don me, princess.” Marinette startled a little and whipped around, but visibly relaxed at the sight of Chat. She put a smile on her face. 

“Well, if it isn’t Mr Claw-enforcement himself.” She laughed a little at her own joke. Chat laughed too as he approached her. 

“Have you been purr-actising, princess?” He cocked his head to the side and grinned. As he got closer, he noticed the redness in her eyes. Her nose was a little red too, but the rest of her face was ghastly pale. 

“Marinette, are you alright?” Chat couldn’t bear to see her so… broken. There was no other word for it. The grief in her face had been washed away by her tears, leaving only an empty, lifeless shell behind. She smiled weakly at him and waved her hand to brush it off. 

“It’s nothing, Chat.” She took a shaky breath before continuing. “It’s just… Luka left for university today. He’s studying in the US. I had known he would be leaving for a long time now, but it’s not any easier.”

Chat remembered how Marinette had been there for him when Kagami left for Japan. He hadn’t been too upset — sure, Kagami was (then) his girlfriend, but he found himself a little relieved even when she left. She was nice and all, and Adrien felt good when he was with her, but he didn’t feel as loved as he would’ve wished. She had constantly needed affection from him, and whilst it felt great to spoil her, he often wished it was reciprocated more. He knew she felt something for him — he wouldn’t describe it as love. Maybe adoration? — and she tried her best to make him feel appreciated. But it wasn’t enough for Adrien. 

“I’m sorry, Mari,” Chat murmured, pulling her in for a hug. He heard her inhale deeply as she buried her face into his shoulder, sniffling a little when she wrapped her arms around him. 

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Pulling away, Marinette fidgeted with something on her wrist. Chat recognised it immediately. It was Luka’s bracelet, the one that belonged to his father. Another silver bangle sat around her wrist too, and it took Chat a little longer to remember why it was so familiar. 

Viperion’s bracelet was too big for Marinette’s hand. It made her wrist seem tiny and fragile. Did she know it was a Miraculous? Chat thought about warning her, or to return the Miraculous to Ladybug. It was irresponsible of Luka to just hand over a Miraculous to a civilian.

Looking back at the anguish in Marinette’s eyes, he decided to pursue it another day. It would be cruel to snatch away what little of Luka she had left. 

“Why are you patrolling, anyway?” Marinette interrupted. “Wasn’t the Akuma attack just yesterday?”

“Diligence is key, princess. We can’t get carried away by complacency.” 

His answer didn’t satisfy Marinette. Curiosity lit her eyes, clouding the sorrow for a brief moment. She decided not to press it —He would answer truthfully if he wanted to.

They stood in comfortable silence for a moment. This gave Chat time to decide how to console Marinette. He should do this as Adrien — Chat didn’t really talk to Marinette much. 

He guilt wrecked for the tiny bit of relief he felt when he realised Luka had left. Luka had always been nice to everyone. He treated Marinette well, and Chat felt bad he had to break her heart to chase his dreams. It mustn’t have been easy for Luka to have made that decision. 

His kindness, however, did nothing to calm Adrien’s jealousy. Marinette was so comfortable around Luka. She laughed at his jokes and joked back. Whenever he entered the room, Marinette’s entire face lit up. 

They were often found sitting in a corner together, each with their own notebooks. Marinette’s were full of designs, and Luka’s were scribbled with lyrics and tunes that popped up in his head. They were practically perfect. 

And that’s what started making Adrien uneasy. He wanted what they had. A loving, healthy relationship. There was no other reason he was so envious of Luka. The fact that he was dating Marinette — sweet, altruistic, brave Marinette — didn’t contribute to his jealousy at all. 

The night got colder and colder as the sky turned darker, and when a gentle breeze blew past, Marinette shivered. 

“You should head back in,” Chat said. Taking her arm, he walked her back to the hatch that led to her room. After watching her step in, he turned around to leave. 

Only to feel a tug on his tail. Turning back, he saw Marinette staring down at his boots, deep in thought. 

“Stay? Please?” Gathering her courage, she looked up at Char through her lashes. 

Fuck. 

Did she know the effect she had when she did that? She was his own personal siren, driving him to temptation. Chat was at a list of words for a second, and Marinette dropped his tail. She wrapped her arms around herself. 

“It’s totally okay if you don’t want to, I didn’t mean to overstep any boundaries, Chat, I—”

Chat stepped into the hatch with her, ceasing her rambling instantly. They were so close, he could feel her hot breath on his chest through his suit. 

He had a glimpse of what love truly felt like that night.


	2. Interviewing for Agreste Industries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can someone explain how I can indicate that this is an incomplete work? 
> 
> Also, would you guys like smut? If so, which ship?

Adrien was running late for school. He had slept over at Marinette’s house by accident. Her bed was just too soft, and her room was just too warm. And what type of gentleman would he be if he left her to mourn alone?

Those were the lies he kept telling himself. 

Thankfully, Plagg woke him up early enough to transform and head back to his house to change out before school. He had scribbled a note before he left — he didn’t want Marinette to wake up to an empty bed without a goodbye. 

He just hoped it wasn’t too forward. 

He felt Plagg grumbling in his shirt pocket. “If you hadn’t spent that half hour writing the goddamn letter, we might be on time!”

A blush crept up on Adrien’s cheeks, though if anyone asked he would blame it on the running. He had written a short note that morning explaining that he had to go, and letting her know that he would be there for her whenever she required. Though, he did spend a good ten minutes staring at her sleeping form. 

She looked so relaxed, so at peace. He contemplated waking her up to tell her he was leaving, but he didn’t want to disrupt her slumber. He eventually decided on writing her a note in her sketchbook. 

Before leaving, he planted a swift kiss on her forehead. 

That night’s sleep was the best sleep he had gotten in a while. With Marinette in his arms, her head on his shoulder, the smell of her shampoo engulfing him, it was easy to forget all his troubles. Nothing mattered except the little angel in his arms. 

He made it to school just in time. The bell rang as he entered the class, and he took his usual seat next to Nino. 

The moment he sat down, he realised the seat behind him was still empty even though school had started. 

Marinette is usually late anyway, he told himself. There is no reason to panic. 

Even after their substitute teacher walked in and started classes, Marinette still hadn’t stumbled in. Fifteen minutes past. Half an hour. 

Did Marinette fall and get a concussion? Had she been kidnapped on the way to school? Did she get into an accident somewhere? Knowing the clumsy girl, she might’ve very well accidentally fallen off a bridge into a river. 

Tapping his pen against his worksheet anxiously, Adrien’s eyes shifted back and forth from the clock to the door, hoping Marinette was fine, and just really late. Maybe he should’ve woken her up before he left. 

It was almost a full hour after classes started when Nino laughed and placed an arm on his shoulders. 

“Dude, relax. Mari isn’t coming to school today.”

Adrien let out a sigh of relief he didn’t realise he had been holding. His anxiety dissipated, only to come back almost instantly. “Why not?”  
Alya  
snickered from behind him, but he couldn’t turn his head to face her without the substitute noticing. He tried to catch Nino’s eye and send a questioning glance, but his gaze was focused solely on the worksheet in front of him. What was going on?

Alya tapped Adrien on his head. “You’ll find out soon enough, Agreste.” 

————————————

“Miss Dupain-Cheng?” Natalie read aloud. Dupain-Cheng sounded familiar. Wasn’t she that pesky friend of Adrien’s? She was so determined that Adrien should join their trip to America. Wait, didn’t she win one of Gabriel’s design competitions not long ago too?

A blurry image of a mousy little girl came into mind. It was the girl with pigtails, Natalie was sure of it. She almost laughed to herself — a little girl like her would be eaten alive in the Agreste Industry. 

“Here!” 

The girl from her memories awkwardly jogged towards her. She was taller than Natalie remembered, and she didn’t tie her hair in pigtails today. 

She wore her hair in a low bun, similar to Natalie’s, and dressed herself in neutral tones, with splashes of pastel pink. Her outfit was professional and stylish. She had passed the first test. 

She smiled awkwardly as Natalie jotted that down on her clipboard. The young lady held herself with poise, despite the slight uncertainty laced in her eyes. She definitely had potential, though. 

Natalie gave her a curt nod and gestures to the door behind her. “Mr Agreste will see you now.”  
————————————  
Alya dialed Marinette’s number as soon as she saw the news. 

“Alya?” A groggy voice came from her speakerphone. “It’s 1 a.m., are you—”

“Gabriel Agreste is searching for a protégé!” Alya whisper-screamed into her phone. “Interviews start in a month! Mari, you have to do this!”

Alya was about to gush out every single detail she found when she was interrupted by a sleepy voice. 

One that was definitely not Marinette’s. 

This voice was deep, and soothing, and very, very familiar. 

“Is that Alya?” The rustle of sheets and a soft sigh was heard through her phone. “Tell her I said hi.”

Alya sputtered, thoughts of the job opportunity all vanished from her mind. 

“Uh, Luka says hi.” Mari’s voice was sheepish. Alya knew she must’ve been as red as a tomato on the other side of the phone. 

“Ngk.”

“Alya? Alya! Oh god — Luka! What are you—”

“Hey Alya.” Luka’s low voice tumbled through her phone. “If you don’t mind, could you call Mari back tomorrow morning? We’re kinda in the middle of something.”

Marinette’s huffs of annoyance were drowned out by Luka’s soft chuckle. They were both cut off by the monotonous tone once he hung up. 

Alya stayed motionless in shock for a good five minutes — and immediately called her boyfriend. 

————————————

“Your portfolio is extremely impressive, Miss Dupain-Cheng.”

For such an unassuming girl, she has a lot of achievements. Gabriel couldn’t deny that designing Jagged-Stone’s album cover as well as Kitty Section’s outfits were very significant accomplishments. 

Not only that, she had won his very own competition two years ago. She was a very promising candidate, Gabriel realised. It was better to keep her under his employ lest she overtakes him in the future. 

Her age, however, was an issue. She was still in high school, and that means she won’t be able to work full time. Furthermore, she was friends with Adrien — it would be disastrous if they distracted each other from attaining their peak performance. 

Gabriel Agreste never bothered to disguise his scrutiny. Be it in front of diplomats, business partners, even his own son, he made his displeasure known. 

The girl in front of him didn’t cower. She stared at him, waiting expectantly for a response. 

Gabriel broke eye contact first. A flash of metal drew his attention to her hand. There sat the ugliest silver bangle he had ever seen. It looked a little familiar. 

“Your jewelry clashes with your outfit,” he stated, buying time. Where had he seen it before? It must’ve been important if he has an impression of it. 

Then it hit him. That was the snake miraculous. Why did this civilian girl have the snake miraculous?

“It has sentimental value, sir. My boyf—ex boyfriend gave it to me.” There was sadness in her voice, but her face remained impassive, professional. 

The snake miraculous could turn back time. It was no miraculous of creation or destruction, but it could be enough. 

The image of his wife, cold and motionless in his basement clouded his thoughts. He had to grasp at any chance to bring her back, no matter how small. Everything would be fixed once she was back. Their family would be complete once more. To do that, however, he needed a second chance. 

The very hope of it being enough determined Gabriel’s next decision. 

“Miss Dupain-Cheng.” Standing up, he extended his hand to the asset. “Welcome to Agreste Industries.”


End file.
